1. Lecture 5 ADAPTING YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR AUDIENCE (CONTINUE) 2. Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 Analyze Audiences As individuals As members of groups Demographics Psychographics As members of organizations 3. Discourse communities Discourse communities, include family, peers, professional associations, clubs, and the workplaceall communities with which your audience identifies. Discourse communities are groups whose members create the affiliation, the rules and the norms, through discourse, or dialogue. Members communicate through symbols (language, nonverbals) that may or may not be exclusive to their group, but which identify them as members of that group. 4. Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 Discourse Communities A group of people who share assumptions about What topics to discuss What formats and styles to use What channels to use What constitutes evidence 5. Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 Organizational Culture The shared values and philosophies Power Preferred behaviors, dress, and language 6. When analyzing an organizations discourse community, consider both non-verbal and verbal clues: What does the physical environment say about who and what are valued? What departments and services are front and centre? Where is the reception area located? What messages do the furnishings and decor send? How are visitors welcomed? Is the company mission statement prominent? What does the office space layout indicate about the organizations values? Where are the library, training rooms, gymnasium, and cafeteria located? How well are they resourced? Where do the managers work? Do bosses dress differently from other employees? How are employees treated? How are new hires oriented? How is employee performance recognized? Whats featured in the company newsletter? How do people in the organization get important information? 7. When analyzing an organizations discourse community, consider both non-verbal and verbal clues: (continue) How do people in the organization communicate? What channels, formats, and styles are preferred for communication? Do they write a paper memo, send an email, or walk down the hall to talk to someone? How formal or informal are people expected to bein their dress, on the telephone, in meetings? What do people talk about? What is not discussed? What kind of and how much evidence is needed to be convincing? Is personal evidence convincing? Do people need to supply statistics and formal research to be convincing? 8. The following questions will help you analyze an organizations culture: What are the organizations goals? making money? serving customers and clients? advancing knowledge? contributing to the community? What does the organization value? diversity or homogeneity? independence or being a team player? creativity or following orders? How do people get ahead? Are rewards based on seniority, education, being well-liked, making technical discoveries, or serving customers? Are rewards available to only a few top people, or is everyone expected to succeed? How formal are behaviour, language, and dress? What behavioural expectations predominate? How do employees treat one another? Do employees speak in I, we, or them and us language? How do employees get organizational information? 9. Use it to plan strategy, organization, style, document design, and visuals. Strategy Choose appeals and reader benefits that work for the specific audience . Use details and language that reflect your knowledge of, and respect for, the specific audience, the organizational culture, and the discourse community. Make it easy for the audience to respond positively. Include only necessary information. Anticipate and overcome objections . 10. Organization Its usually better to get to the point right away. The major exceptions are: When you must persuade a reluctant reader When your audience would see the message as bad news and you want to break the news gradually Anticipate and meet the audiences expectations of format: make the organizational pattern clear to the audience. Style Strive for clarity and accessibility: use simple words, a mixture of sentence lengths, and short paragraphs with topic sentences. Use natural, conversational, personable, tactful language: avoid negative, defensive, arrogant, and red-flag wordsunfortunately, fundamentalist, liberal, crazy, incompetent, dishonestthat may generate a negative reaction. Use the language that appeals to your audience. Use conversational language. 11. Document Design Use telegraphing: bulleted lists, headings, and a mix of paragraph lengths create white space. Choose the format, footnotes, and visuals expected by the organizational culture or the discourse community. Photographs and Visuals Photos and visuals can make a document look more informal or more formal. Carefully consider the difference between cartoons and photos of high art. Use bias-free photographs. Unintentional cultural, gender, religious, and economic assumptions can offend readers and lose business. Choose photographs and illustrations that project positive cultural meanings for your audience. Do your research and audience analysis: some cultures (e.g., France and Japan) use evocative photographs that bear little direct relationship to the text. North American audiences expect photos to relate to the text. 12. Different needs of audiences Content and Choice of Details Always provide an overviewthe introductory or topic sentence for reader orientation. In the body of the document, provide enough evidence to prove your point. Level of Language Contemporary business communication uses conversational, semi- formal language. Use I and you, and address your reader by name. Do research, however, to discover your readers title preference (for example, Mr., Ms.). When both internal and external audiences will read the document, use a slightly more formal style and the third person; avoid I. Use a more formal style when you write to international audiences. 13. Organization Organize your message based on the primary audiences attitudes toward it: give good news up front; provide the explanation before you deliver the bad news. Organize documents to make reading easy: provide a table of contents for documents more than five pages long so that your readers can turn to the portions that interest them. Use headings as signposts: use headings to tell readers what theyre about to read and to connect ideas throughout your document. This strategy reinforces your credibility through unity and coherence. If the primary audience doesnt need details that other audiences will want, provide those details in attachments or appendices. 14. Technical Terms and Theory Know what your reader knows; then provide only the necessary information. Use technical terms only if these will increase reader comprehension Put background information and theory under separate headings. Readers can use the headings to read or skip these sections, as their knowledge dictates. If primary audiences will have more knowledge than other audiences, provide a glossary of terms. Early in the document, let readers know that the glossary exists. 15. How do I reach my audience? Effective messages make use of multiple channels. Communication channels vary in: transmission speed transmission accuracy cost efficiency audience impact Your purpose, the audience, and the situationknown as the communication contextwill all determine which and how many channels you choose 16. A written message makes it easier to do several things: Present many specific details of a law, policy, or procedure Present extensive or complex financial data Minimize undesirable emotions Speaking is easier and more efficient when you need to do any of the following: Answer questions, resolve conflicts, and build consensus Use emotion to help persuade the audience Provoke an immediate action or response Focus the audiences attention on specific points Modify a proposal that may not be acceptable in its original form 17. Oral and written messages have many similarities. In both, you should do six things: Adapt the message to the specific audience. Show the audience members how they benefit from the idea, policy, service, or product Overcome any objections the audience may have. Use a good attitude and positive emphasis Use visuals to clarify or emphasize material Specify exactly what the audience should do. 18. Determining one's natural Myers Briggs Personality Type is frequently complicated by our life-long learning experiences. The classic question is: " Am I this way because I learned it or is this just the way I am? In reviewing the comparisons in our personality assessment, you may find yourself drawn equally to opposing personality preference choices. In such cases I suggest you try to think back to how you were before the age of 12 or even younger if you can recall. The rationale for this suggestion is the fact that by the time we are 3 years old, the core of our cognitive organization is well-fixed. . . although the brain continues to allow some plasticity until puberty. After the onset of puberty, our adult learning begins to overlay our core personality - which is when the blending of nature and nurture becomes more evident. For some people, this "learning" serves to strengthen what is already there, but with others it produces multiple faces to personality. Discovering or rediscovering this innate core of yourself is part of the journey of using personality types to enrich your life. Each of the four questions of the CSI inventory has two parts. The first part is a general description of the preference choices. The second part is a list of paired statements. Use both parts to form your opinion on your more dominant preference. 19. ISTJ - The Duty Fulfiller Serious and quiet, interested in security and peaceful living. Extremely thorough, responsible, and dependable. Well-developed powers of concentration. Usually interested in supporting and promoting traditions and establishments. Well- organized and hard working, they work steadily towards identified goals. They can usually accomplish any task once they have set their mind to it. ISTP - The Mechanic Quiet and reserved, interested in how and why things work. Excellent skills with mechanical things. Risk-takers who they live for the moment. Usually interested in and talented at extreme sports. Uncomplicated in their desires. Loyal to their peers and to their internal value systems, but not overly concerned with respecting laws and rules if they get in the way of getting something done. Detached and analytical, they excel at finding solutions to practical problems. ISFJ - The Nurturer Quiet, kind, and conscientious. Can be depended on to follow through. Usually puts the needs of others above their own needs. Stable and practical, they value security and traditions. Well-developed sense of space and function. Rich inner world of observations about people. Extremely perceptive of other's feelings. Interested in serving others. 20. ISFP - The Artist Quiet, serious, sensitive and kind. Do not like conflict, and not likely to do things which may generate conflict. Loyal and faithful. Extremely well-developed senses, and aesthetic appreciation for beauty. Not interested in leading or controlling others. Flexible and open-minded. Likely to be original and creative. Enjoy the present moment. INFJ - The Protector Quietly forceful, original, and sensitive. Tend to stick to things until they are done. Extremely intuitive about people, and concerned for their feelings. Well-developed value systems which they strictly adhere to. Well-respected for their perserverence in doing the right thing. Likely to be individualistic, rather than leading or following. INFP - The Idealist Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal. Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually talented writers. Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities. Interested in understanding and helping people. 21. INTJ - The Scientist Independent, original, analytical, and determined. Have an exceptional ability to turn theories into solid plans of action. Highly value knowledge, competence, and structure. Driven to derive meaning from their visions. Long-range thinkers. Have very high standards for their performance, and the performance of others. Natural leaders, but will follow if they trust existing leaders. INTP - The Thinker Logical, original, creative thinkers. Can become very excited about theories and ideas. Exceptionally capable and driven to turn theories into clear understandings. Highly value knowledge, competence and logic. Quiet and reserved, hard to get to know well. Individualistic, having no interest in leading or following others. ESTP - The Doer Friendly, adaptable, action-oriented. "Doers" who are focused on immediate results. Living in the here-and-now, they're risk-takers who live fast-paced lifestyles. Impatient with long explanations. Extremely loyal to their peers, but not usually respectful of laws and rules if they get in the way of getting things done. Great people skills. 22. ESTJ - The Guardian Practical, traditional, and organized. Likely to be athletic. Not interested in theory or abstraction unless they see the practical application. Have clear visions of the way things should be. Loyal and hard-working. Like to be in charge. Exceptionally capable in organizing and running activities. "Good citizens" who value security and peaceful living. ESFP - The Performer People-oriented and fun-loving, they make things more fun for others by their enjoyment. Living for the moment, they love new experiences. They dislike theory and impersonal analysis. Interested in serving others. Likely to be the center of attention in social situations. Well-developed common sense and practical ability. ESFJ - The Caregiver Warm-hearted, popular, and conscientious. Tend to put the needs of others over their own needs. Feel strong sense of responsibility and duty. Value traditions and security. Interested in serving others. Need positive reinforcement to feel good about themselves. Well-developed sense of space and function. 23. ENFP - The Inspirer Enthusiastic, idealistic, and creative. Able to do almost anything that interests them. Great people skills. Need to live life in accordance with their inner values. Excited by new ideas, but bored with details. Open-minded and flexible, with a broad range of interests and abilities. ENFJ - The Giver Popular and sensitive, with outstanding people skills. Externally focused, with real concern for how others think and feel. Usually dislike being alone. They see everything from the human angle, and dislike impersonal analysis. Very effective at managing people issues, and leading group discussions. Interested in serving others, and probably place the needs of others over their own needs. ENTP - The Visionary Creative, resourceful, and intellectually quick. Good at a broad range of things. Enjoy debating issues, and may be into "one-up-manship". They get very excited about new ideas and projects, but may neglect the more routine aspects of life. Generally outspoken and assertive. They enjoy people and are stimulating company. Excellent ability to understand concepts and apply logic to find solutions. ENTJ - The Executive Assertive and outspoken - they are driven to lead. Excellent ability to understand difficult organizational problems and create solid solutions. Intelligent and well-informed, they usually excel at public speaking. They value knowledge and competence, and usually have little patience with inefficiency or disorganization. 24. Thank you. Have a fabulous day